Petersburg, VA is a place rooted in a rich historical story that is told and ever-cultivated in a myriad of ways through its arts community. Steven G, a Petersburg native, uses his passion for photography to find ways to connect back to the city’s many walks of life, as well as its resilient landmarks featured in his project, “Postcards of Petersburg.”

Read ahead for Steven’s words:

CultureWorks: Who are you, and what is your relationship to the project, “Postcards of Petersburg”?

Steven Gay: I’m a multi-disciplinary professional photographer and graphic designer. I have a background in technology and marketing which I now use in more creative personal and professional endeavors. I have a love of history which includes my hometown of Petersburg and the surrounding area. My personal love of photography and history led me ultimately to the Postcards of Petersburg project.

CW: Tell me a bit about Postcards of Petersburg! Where did your interest spark, and how did it get started?

S: Part of my research into Petersburg’s history centered around photographic records. In 2019, I embarked on a personal project to take a photo every day of that year. Each week would be a different challenge or photographic technique and had to be taken within the Petersburg city limits. One reoccurring weekly challenge was what I called, “Then and Now,” where I would find a photograph of a location dating back decades or sometimes half a century ago, and then photograph that same location at the same spot the original photo was taken. I would also try to use the same focal length lens. This gave viewers the ability to see how much has, or, in some cases, has not changed. It turned out to be one of my most popular challenges.

Historical photographs became harder to find, which led me to postcards. I soon realized that there were hundreds of postcards of Petersburg spanning more than a century, so, I started searching and purchasing these postcards.

I came up with a concept with the help of Richard Cuthbert, a connection of mine, to showcase these postcards throughout the city, and he suggested I look into finding a grant to fund the project, which led me to CultureWorks. I submitted the project and had excellent feedback from Candra Parker. With her suggestions, I created larger postcard signs that could be installed in locations that could accommodate the larger sizes.

I was able to fund a portion of the project through a CultureWorks grant! The Culture Works grant has allowed me to produce a website and four signs. Three are installed, and I’m prepping the final for installation. As I install them, I have received very positive feedback from business owners, pedestrians, and property owners. The Postcards of Petersburg strikes a chord of nostalgia and interest in the city’s history with everyone who sees them, regardless of age, background, or culture!

CW: Are you working on any other projects? Share whatever you would like about the present of your work!

S: Having recently moved my studio to 22 W. Old Street, I’ve been renovating that location. As a stubborn DIY’er, I have built a custom cyclorama for my portraiture, headshots, and product photography. I plan to have my grand opening next month!

A project that connects with my technical side is about to be released entitled, “arteclipse.” In 2017, I was in Rigby, Idaho to witness the total eclipse of the sun. This location happened to fall under the center of totality. The photos I captured that day will be released as NFTs. With “arteclipse,” I used A.I. algorithms to produce artistic representations of my photograph that I then edited. There will be a total of 100 unique digital prints and 10 animated loops.

But the most important and meaningful project I’m developing is called “asideofus”. Having grown up in Petersburg, walked most of the streets, and talked to many people in their homes, I’m extremely comfortable here and interested in the people that have made Petersburg their home for better or worse. I want to tell their personal stories, using photography and their words to share memories of growing up in the city, words of wisdom, concerns, experiences, or other issues. These personal stories and the photographs will demonstrate how unique each of us are. In noticing our unique qualities, we also see the many similarities. Regardless of our skin color, culture, language, or nationality, we all have similar physical traits and personal stories. In the end, all of us have the same basic needs, wants, and hopes. Thus, the name of this project is “a-side-of-us,” which I hope to turn into a book.

CW: How have you felt your work connect with the community around you?

S: Definitely through the Postcards of Petersburg project. Everyone I’ve interacted with, no matter their walk of life, loves seeing the postcards and especially compared to today. I’ve had some great spontaneous conversations and met a lot of the local community.

In October, during the last 7 Moons Market of the year, I set up a mini outdoor photo studio. It was my initial concept for “asideofus” to photograph those visiting the market with a very specific type of high contrast portrait. The concept and photoshoot were a success and I had meaningful conversations about the concept and the photography.

CW: Have you collaborated with any artists/spaces/organizations recently that were meaningful for you?

S: Yes, prior to the pandemic when Friday for the Arts was being well supported by the city, local organizations, and businesses I would open my first studio each second Friday and either run a photo booth or show an exhibit of my work.

Recently I have been able to offer support services to local artists and have found it very gratifying. Learning about their process and thinking when it comes to art is fascinating.

A local artist, Itzel “SOL” Ortiz has organized The Underground Benefit Art Auction to support the art programs at Petersburg High School. I have the privilege of not only being one of the many featured artists, but I’ve also been able to assist with the project. Events such as this are exciting but I look forward most to the interactions and reactions to the art.

CW: An experience or moment that made you feel like all the hard work is worth it?

S: After developing the Postcards of Petersburg project for about a year and receiving the CultureWorks grant. That was a turning point for the project. I was able to turn the idea into a physical reality and the project was taken seriously which led to further funding.

The brief moments are when I see someone's reaction to my photography and art. My new studio location has large windows where I’m beginning to display my work. I enjoy seeing people stopping to look at what’s on display and even better when it allows me to strike up a conversation with them. Art or a photograph has an interesting way of drawing people out and creating a dialogue. This has become a welcomed result of all of the hard work.

CW: Where do you look for inspiration these days, and how do you stay inspired?

S: Reading about past and modern photographers and artists. I especially get inspired when learning about their process for creating art. Visiting the VMFA always inspires and recharges my creativity. But, my photo walks are probably the easiest way for me to recharge. Whether in the city or out hiking in nature, it gives me time to reflect but also focus on what is in front of me. This always helps to generate new ideas and a fresh perspective on my work. Keeping the phone silenced and in my pocket helps!

CW: What do arts and culture mean to you? Why does it matter?

S: We all start out creative but society seems designed to filter this out of us as we enter the workforce. I think it is important to infuse creativity into whatever we do. Art helps remind us of this and maybe inspires us to keep being creative. Art allows me to fill the need to try and convey a thought or emotion without words through an image. But, it also consistently shows that each person may see or take away something completely different than I expect. These two aspects of art bring me satisfaction and endless fascination.

Culture, like the world around us, and especially nature, is full of variation and diversity; maybe more so when it deals with the customs and art of a particular group. This is what makes life interesting and where we learn new ways of seeing the world around us. It also shows us that no matter how unique we all are, we are very much the same!